Apparatus for moving vehicle passenger transfer

ABSTRACT

Transportation vehicles are divided longitudinally into two areas; a strip area which is continuously available for the passengers, and an operational area formed to accommodate a mobile people-platform. The people-platform is built on a flexible spine guided in its movement along the center line of the vehicles. The platform assembly is propelled by some power source or power sources located either in the said operational areas of the vehicles or on the platform itself.

United States Patent Inventor Tibor Z. llarmathy 1834 Playfair Drive, Ottawa 8, Ontario, Canada Appl. No. 811,823

Filed Apr. 1, 1969 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 APPARATUS FOR MOVING VEHICLE PASSENGER TRANSFER 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 104/20, 105/159 Int. Cl B611: 1/00 Field of Search 104/20; 105/159 O n O 23 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 694,129 2/1902 Brown 104/20 3,037,462 6/1962 Barry 104/20 X Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-G. H. Libman ABSTRACT: Transportation vehicles are divided longitudinally into two areas; a strip area which is continuously available for the passengers, and an operational area formed to accommodate a mobile people-platform. The people-platform is built on a flexible spine guided in its movement along the center line of the vehicles. The platform assembly is propelled by some power source or power sources located either in the said operational areas of the vehicles or on the platform itself.

PATENTEnNuv 30 Ml 3.624.831

SHEET 1 [IF 3 Fig-l T? r r PAIENTEBNBV 30 ISTI 3152413 31 SHEET 3 OF 3 l mwilz APIARA'I'US FOR MOVING VEHICLE PASSENGER TRANSFER The low overall speeds achievable in urban dimensions with the conventional stop-go" type traffic are the results of the time losses associated with the boarding and alighting of passengers at the stations and with the periods of acceleration and deceleration of the train. Several nonconventional transportation systems have already been suggested to eliminate these time losses. A system outlined by J. Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 694,129, dated Feb. 25, 1902, still seems to be the most advantageous, because with this system nonstop passenger transportation can be achieved without the fragmentation of the trafiic and without the need for additional trackage.

In US. Pat. No. 3,037,462, dated June 5, 1962, L. D. Barry described equipment for the control of the vehicles in Brown's system. Further studies performed by five companies participating in the design of the automatic train control equipment for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (described in TRl Report 1, Camegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh Penn, 1968) and by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in connection with Project METRAN (M.I.T. Report No. 8, Cambridge, Mass, 1966) proved conclusively that the equipment for solving some automation problems presented by Brown's system was well within the state of art in the 1960's.

Thereare, however, still some problems, namely those related to the onboard movement of passengers, that have to be solved before Browns system can be put in practical use. To exploit fully the advantages offered by this system, a large portion of the passengers have to change places repeatedly between temporarily joined moving vehicles. In an automated system the joining and separation of the vehicles are programmed and thus the time allowed for the movements of the passengers must be strictly enforced. It is essential, therefore, to provide onboard facilities to ensure that the movements of the passengers are not affected by the crowds along the aisles or by the lack of attentiveness and sufficient agility among some passengers.

It is the object of this invention to present mechanical means for performing the bulk of the onboard passenger movements within prescribed periods, in the case of transportation systems operating essentially as originally described by Brown, or as later elaborated upon by Barry, or in the case of any other generically similar systems. The transportation system to which this invention is applicable will be referred to, in its unimproved form, as the rudimentary system." In the drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the invention;

FIG. I is a diagrammatic plan view showing four phases of the traffic in the vicinity of a station,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nonpowered people-platform,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a section of some improved components of the people-platform,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a powered people-platform.

In the figures:

a. lower case letters denote stations,

b. capital letters denote stations,

c. arabic numerals denote components or parts of various devices,

d. roman numerals denote various phases of operation of the transportation system.

Identical arabic numerals followed by different capital letters are used to denote identical components or parts in different vehicles.

In the specification the word vehicle" is used to denote either a single transportation vehicle or two, three, or several vehicles connected permanently with the adjacent end doors missing or permanently open.

Since the present invention offers particular advantages in urban passenger transportation, the word "passenger" is used for simplicity to denote the object of transportation. It is obvious, however, that if the essential features of the invention are clearly recognizable, the word passenger" must not be taken in the literal sense.

To understand the improvement offered by the present invention, it is necessary to recapitulate the operation of the rudimentary system. Its operation can be divided into two parts: (1) the coordinated movements of the vehicles along the transportation track, and (2) the movements of the passengers relative to the vehicles.

To elucidate the former part of the operation, attention is directed to FIG. 1 where the movements of three vehicles (vehicles A, B, and C) are diagrammatically shown in the vicinity of a station (station b). Since in this part of the operation the vehicle is the smallest mobile unit considered, the symbols within the outlines of the vehicles can be temporarily disregarded.

In phase I of the operation vehicle A stands still in station b, while vehicles B and C, joined together, are approaching from the direction of station a. Before reaching station b, the twovehicle unit separates into its components, as shown in phase II. Vehicle C slows down and later stops in station b, while vehicle B continues its travel at its cruising speed through the station. Meanwhile vehicle A has left the station and is now accelerating. The time of its departure was programmed and its speed is controlled in such a way that by the time vehicle A reaches its cruising speed, it becomes overtaken by vehicle B. The two vehicles join, as shown in phases Ill and IV, and continue their travels as a combined unit until they reach the vicinity of station 0. Then they will separate, vehicle B will slow down and eventually stop at station c, while vehicle A will run through the station for a rendezvous with another vehicle.

To simplify some further discussions concerning the coordinated movements of the vehicles, it seems advisable to introduce a few further terms:

The term basic (vehicle) group will be used to refer to the vehicles that remain joined together during the period that elapses between the leaving behind of a vehicle (before a station) and the picking up of another vehicle (following the same station). For the sake of generality this term is retained even for those cases (shown in all figures) when the basic group actually consists of a single vehicle.

The term combined (vehicle) group" will be used to refer to the vehicles that are joined together during the period that elapses between the picking up of a vehicle (at the front end of the basic group) and the leaving behind of a vehicle (from the rear end).

The term time of combined run" will be used to refer to the period of existence of the combined" group.

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 the vehicles" are shown as single vehicles and the basic groups" as one-vehicle units, partly for the sake of simplicity, but mainly because this simple case is by far the most important from a practical point of view. In the rudimentary system a large number of other cases are conceivable. The present invention is applicable, however, to those cases only, in which always one vehicle (in the defined sense) is left behind and one vehicle is picked up in the vicinity of each station.

As FIG. 1 shows, all vehicles are of identical design. They have side doors on at least the side of boarding (doors 1) and end doors at the front and rear (doors 2 and 3, respectively).

While the vehicles are standing still at some station, their side doors are open for boarding and alighting, and their end doors are closed. Only the adjacent end doors are open for the onboard movements of passengers while any number of vehicles are running joined together. Finally, all doors are closed while the vehicles are running alone.

It is seen from FIG. I that vehicle B which started from station a, is the leading vehicle in a two-vehicle group before station b is reached. Later it becomes the rear vehicle in another two-vehicle group, and finally it is dropped off and stops at station 0. In a similar manner, all vehicles in the system travel a two-station distance in one succession. It is obvious, therefore, that only those relatively few passengers can occupy permanent places in the vehicles whose destination happens to be the second station from the station of boarding. The one-station travelers must move into the rear vehicle during the first time of combined run, and the passengers who wish to alight at some station following the second, must keep moving into the leading vehicle during subsequent times of combined runs until the station preceding the destination has been passed.

If the number of vehicles in the basic group is two or more, the rule of travel becomes even more complicated. For example, if it is two, every vehicle travels a three-station distance without stopping. The one-station travelers must now walk through an entire vehicle to reach the rear vehicle during the first time of combined run, and the two-station travelers must move back into the second vehicle. The multistation travelers still have to keep moving ahead into the leading vehicle during subsequent times of combined runs, until the station second before the destination has been passed.

As emphasized earlier, the almost continuous onboard migration of the bulk of passengers is not only an annoyance,

but also it makes the coordinated, on schedule movements of the vehicles, and thus the automatic operation of the rudimentary system difficult or impossible.

Attention is again directed to FIG. 1 to show the improvements made on the rudimentary system by the present invention in order to make it truly susceptible to automatic controls.

The interior of each vehicle is now divided longitudinally into two areas. Area 4 is a strip area adjoining the side doors. The strip area is for interim stay and for one and two station travelers, therefore it is not furnished with seats. The larger area, area 5, will be referred to here as operational area. It is accessible from the strip area only when covered by a mobile people-platform," 6, which in phase I is located over the operational area of vehicle B and is shown as a lined area. There may be seats provided on this platform.

ln station b passengers are boarding vehicle A. The passengers are shown as dots. Their movements as well as the movement of the people-platform, are indicated by arrows. The two and multistation travelers can stay anywhere along area 4, except small sections near the front and rear doors which are reserved for one-station travelers.

Phase II shows that vehicle A has already left station b and vehicle B is in the process of overtaking it. In phase III the two vehicles are already joined together and the people-platform is in the process of advancing from the operational area of vehicle B to that of vehicle A. At the same time the passengers who wished to alight at station and thus have stayed near the rear end door in the strip area of vehicle A, begin to walk over to vehicle B.

Phase IV shows that the movement of the people-platform has already been completed. The passengers who wanted to alight at station c are by now all in area 4 of vehicle B. Those passengers who intended to disembark at station d remain standing in the strip area of vehicle A, while the others who wished to travel further than station d step onto the peopleplatform.

Also shown are in FIG. 1 (in phases I and II) the movements of the passengers who wish to disembark at station 0 and therefore step down from the people-platform in vehicle B. Phases ill and IV show vehicle C, dropped off earlier by vehicle B, standing in station b, while the alighting and boarding of the passengers is in progress.

It is seen that the use of an onboard mobile people-platform offers twofold advantages. Firstly, it greatly simplifies the rules of travel. Only the newly boarded passengers and those who wish to alight, have to act. The through passengers who are standing or seated on the platform and who normally representthe great majority of the travelers, are transferred forward from one vehicle to another during the times of combined runs, and travel undisturbedly as long as they stay on the platform. Secondly, the advance of the mobile people-platform always takes place in a prescribed time. This factor is extremely important if the movement of the vehicles is completely automated.

In this suggested arrangement the transfer of the one-station travelers into the rear vehicle does not take place by mechanical means. This fact, however. is not expected to present difficulties since (i) generally only a small fraction of the passengers intend to make one-station trips, especially in urban dimensions when the stations are closely spaced, and (ii) as mentioned, two small portions of the strip area, those close to the end doors, are reserved for the one-station travelers. Thus the passengers can comfortably cross from the rear end of the leading vehicle to the front end of the second vehicle (see vehicles A and B in phase III of FIG. 1) during the time of combined run.

The two-station travelers do not have to take any action after boarding. They remain standing in the strip area until the vehicle stops.

It is clear from FIG. 1 that when the basic vehicle group consists of a single vehicle, both the length of the people-platform and the distance traveled by it is in one succession (relative to the vehicles) are equal to one vehicle length. If the basic unit consists of two, three, or several vehicles, the length of the people-platform has to be equal to the total length of the vehicles in the basic group, but the distance traveled by it in one succession is still equal to one vehicle length.

In the latter cases some difficulties arise from the fact that Y the one-station travelers have to walk larger distances along the strip areas of the vehicles to reach the rear vehicle. Such difiiculties can be avoided, however, if the passengers are prohibited from making certain shorter trips (for example one-station trips if the basic group consists of two vehicles, one and two-station trips if the basic group consists of three vehicles, and so forth).

The essence of the present invention comprises: (i) the longitudinal division of each vehicle into two areasi a strip area which is continuously available for the passengers, and a wider operational area formed to accommodate the people-platform, (ii) the use of mobile people-platforms carried on board of each basic vehicle group over the operational area and passed to the next basic group (like a baton in a relay race) in the direction of the movement of the vehicles during the times of combined runs.

Some problems may arise in the design of the people-platform due to the fact that it must be capable of absorbing certain length changes which occur when'the vehicles are running along a curved section of the track and the platform is in the process of advancing between the vehicles. (On curved tracks some difi'erential changes in the length of the platform may also occur at other times if the vehicles," in the defined sense, are composite units, or if the basic group consists of two or more vehicles.) Typical solutions are presented in FIGS. 3 and 4. The figures show the longitudinal division of each vehicle into a strip area and an operational area. Certain parts are cut away to permit better views of the assemblies.

In FIG. 2 the advance of the people-platform from vehicle B to vehicle A is nearly completed. A slight difference in the axial orientation of the two vehicles indicates that the vehicles are running along a curved track. The upper lining of the platform is an expandable sheet 7, for example rubber, possibly with some reinforcing elements 8. The sheet is fastened to a substructure consisting of a large number of riblike elements 9 which, for simplicity, are shown as T-bars in the figure. The ribs are at both ends equipped with rollers 10 and through these rollers supported on ledges 11 or in slots extending on both sides of the operational areas. It is also possible to leave out the rollers and thus provide sliding contacts between the ends of the ribs and the ledges or slots.

A central section of each rib is embedded in or fastened to spine 12 which, also for the sake of simplicity, is shown in FIG. 2 as a device made from some expandable material with longitudinal reinforcements 13, so that it can bend but cannot stretch. The spine extends along the whole length of the platform in the center of the vehicles rather than in the center of the operational areas.

Poles l4 and possibly seats 15 are provided on the platform for the convenience of the passengers. Each of these devices is either fastened to a rib, as shown in connection with pole l4,

or to a plate located between the expandable sheet and the substructure. This plate is capable of making a limited amount of movement in relation to the expandable sheet and the substructure. In FIG. 2 the latter solution is shown in connection with seat 15, the legs of which are led through holes cut in sheet 7 and fastened to plate 16.

Some facilities are provided to protect the passengers when the platform is moving in relation to the vehicles. These are represented by railing 17 in FIG. 2. The rail posts are fastened to the ribs of the substructure. The horizontal components of the railing are connected by elastic joints 18 between the posts.

As emphasized earlier, the substructure and spine in the above described platform assembly were selected as relatively simple designs, mainly for illustration purposes. In FIG. 3 another design is shown, which is more advantageous from a practical point of view. The spine consists of a number of spinal elements 19 joined together by vertical pins 20', so that the spine can bend in a horizontal plane, but cannot stretch. The riblike elements that form the substructure, are light interlocking channels 21. Each channel is fastened to a separate spinal element. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the channels and the pertaining spinal elements can be manufactured as integral units.

Although the already mentioned ledges 11 or slots may serve as guides for the movement of the people-platform, it is advisable that the principal guides be provided along the spine. In FIG. 2 a large number of rollers 22 mounted on vertical consoles 23 yield the main guidance for the platform movement. The rollers are bearing against shallow channels 24 running along both sides of the spine. The consoles are fastened to the operational areas of the vehicles.

The lower part of the spine is formed into a rack 25 and plays a part in the platform movement. Two identical pinions, 26B and 27B, are driven at identical speeds through gear case 283 by motor 293. Since the people-platform is already near the end of its travel, only pinion 27B is still engaged with the metal pegs of the rack. At this stage the advance of the platform is partially taken over by pinion 26A (in vehicle A) which is driven by motor 29A through gear case 28A at a speed equal to that of pinion 26B. Further movement of the platform will cause pinion 27B also to disengage. Thereafter the movement of the platform will be effected completely by pinions 26A and 27A.

Motors 298 and 29A are fastened to the operational areas of vehicles B and A, respectively. These motors become energized on the opening of the adjoining end doors 2 and 3 (see FIG. 1) of vehicles A and B. Limit switch 31 will deenergize the motors and at the same time activate brakes 32B and 32A to stop further movement of the platform.

Sometimes it is possible to choose the track layout in such a way that the advance of the people-platform will always take place along straight sections of the track. If, in addition, the vehicles are one-vehicle units and the basic group consists of a single vehicle, there is no need to make the platform flexible in a horizontal plane. In such cases the design of the platform becomes greatly simplified. Since such simplified solutions can be easily derived from the more general solutions described in this specification by those skilled in the art, they will not be discussed here separately. It is obvious, however, that this invention is intended to cover all those generically similar solutions which are derivable from the solutions described.

In FIG. 4 another possible solutions is shown. The characteristic feature of this solution is that the movement of the people-platform is effected by a motor carried on the platform itself. Many components in this figure perform identical functions as the corresponding components in FIG. 2, therefore will not be described here again.

The people-platform is at an early stage of its advance from vehicle .8 to vehicle A. For the sake of simplicity the spine 33 is shown again as a device made from some expandable material with longitudinal reinforcements 34. The movement of the platform is effected by pinion 35 driven through gear case 36 by motor 37, and meshing with the pegs 38 of rack 39. The driving mechanism is fastened to one of the ribs 40 of the platform substructure. The rack is fastened to the operational area along the center line in each vehicle. At the end of its travel the platform is stopped by the operation of brake 41.

The sides of rack 39 also serve for the guidance of the platform movement. A large number of rollers 42 are attached to the ribs of the substructure through holders 43 on both sides of the spine. The rollers are bearing against the sides of the rack and thus enforce the spine to move along the center line of the vehicles.

The foregoing description and drawings have been given only to explain and illustrate the principal features of the invention, and the invention is not limited to the practical solutions given therein, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited. Persons skilled in the art will be able to devise many other practical solutions without departing from the scope of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. Mechanical means for advancing passengers by one vehicle length in a row of temporarily joined moving vehicles which are components of a track-confined transportation system characterized by the recurrent at-speed joining and separation of vehicles, the said row of vehicles consisting of a basic group of one or more vehicles and of one vehicle joined to a leading end of the basic group, all vehicles of the said transportation system being divided longitudinally into two areas: a strip area continuously available for passenger stay and an operational area to accommodate a mobile peopleplatform, the said advance of passengers taking place by means of the movement of the people-platform and involving the passengers staying on the platform, in the said row of vehicles the people-platfonn being originally located over the whole of the operational areas in the basic group, the said people-platform consisting of: an expandable sheet of the size of the said whole of operational areas, a substructure formed by a multitude of riblike elements and fastened to the expandable sheet in such a way as to allow a limited flexing of the sheet in a horizontal plane, a spine fastened to the substructure and extending along the length of the people-platform, the said spine being flexible horizontally but not stretchable longitudinally, facilities for guiding the movement of the said spine along the centerline of the vehicles, poles or seats or both fastened either to individual riblike elements or to plates resting on the substructure under the expandable sheet.

2. Mechanical means for advancing passengers by one vehicle length, as defined by claim 1, wherein said movement of people-platform is effected by motors and driving mechanisms fixed to the operational areas of the vehicles and by a flexible rack fastened to the said spine of the people-platform.

3. Mechanical means for advancing passengers by one vehicle length, as defined by claim 1, wherein said movement of people-platform is effected by motor and driving mechanism fixed to the people-platform and by racks fixed to the operational areas in the center line of the vehicles. 

1. Mechanical means for advancing passengers by one vehicle length in a row of temporarily joined moving vehicles which are components of a track-confined transportation system characterized by the recurrent at-speed joining and separation of vehicles, the said row of vehicles consisting of a basic group of one or more vehicles and of one vehicle joined to a leading end of the basic group, all vehicles of the said transportation system being divided longitudinally into two areas: a strip area continuously available for passenger stay and an operational area to accommodate a mobile people-platform, the said advance of passengers taking place by means of the movemeNt of the peopleplatform and involving the passengers staying on the platform, in the said row of vehicles the people-platform being originally located over the whole of the operational areas in the basic group, the said people-platform consisting of: an expandable sheet of the size of the said whole of operational areas, a substructure formed by a multitude of riblike elements and fastened to the expandable sheet in such a way as to allow a limited flexing of the sheet in a horizontal plane, a spine fastened to the substructure and extending along the length of the people-platform, the said spine being flexible horizontally but not stretchable longitudinally, facilities for guiding the movement of the said spine along the centerline of the vehicles, poles or seats or both fastened either to individual riblike elements or to plates resting on the substructure under the expandable sheet.
 2. Mechanical means for advancing passengers by one vehicle length, as defined by claim 1, wherein said movement of people-platform is effected by motors and driving mechanisms fixed to the operational areas of the vehicles and by a flexible rack fastened to the said spine of the people-platform.
 3. Mechanical means for advancing passengers by one vehicle length, as defined by claim 1, wherein said movement of people-platform is effected by motor and driving mechanism fixed to the people-platform and by racks fixed to the operational areas in the center line of the vehicles. 